Physician Wellness First

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Welcome to the premier podcast for physician well-being, medical education and burnout prevention. The Physician Wellness First podcast brings you closer to what really matters—joy in your work, balance at home, a life well-lived. Physician wellness is not optional; it is a necessary condition to being an excellent physician. Dr. Kathy Stepien is the founding director of The Institute for Physician Wellness, LLC. Dr. Stepien is a board-certified pediatrician in active practice. She holds a Master's degree in Philosophy and practiced physical therapy for 13 years prior to entering medicine. She draws on these broad experiences as she teaches physician wellness, compassion, and mindfulness in medicine. Dr. Stepien lectures internationally and has published research and essays in the medical literature as well as in the popular press.

Welcome to the premier podcast for physician well-being, medical education and burnout prevention. The Physician Wellness First podcast brings you closer to what really matters—joy in your work, balance at home, a life well-lived. Physician wellness is not optional; it is a necessary condition to being an excellent physician. Dr. Kathy Stepien is the founding director of The Institute for Physician Wellness, LLC. Dr. Stepien is a board-certified pediatrician in active practice. She holds a Master's degree in Philosophy and practiced physical therapy for 13 years prior to entering medicine. She draws on these broad experiences as she teaches physician wellness, compassion, and mindfulness in medicine. Dr. Stepien lectures internationally and has published research and essays in the medical literature as well as in the popular press.

Welcome to the premier podcast for physician well-being, medical education and burnout prevention. The Physician Wellness First podcast brings you closer to what really matters—joy in your work, balance at home, a life well-lived. Physician wellness is not optional; it is a necessary condition to being an excellent physician. Dr. Kathy Stepien is the founding director of The Institute for Physician Wellness, LLC. Dr. Stepien is a board-certified pediatrician in active practice. She holds a Master's degree in Philosophy and practiced physical therapy for 13 years prior to entering medicine. She draws on these broad experiences as she teaches physician wellness, compassion, and mindfulness in medicine. Dr. Stepien lectures internationally and has published research and essays in the medical literature as well as in the popular press.

Episodes

Have you ever taken the time to consider the culture of medicine in the U.S.? This is a major component of physician wellness, as the beliefs and values that are generally shared by the medical community impact us in ways we may not even realize. And while some of them are beneficial, others are actually harmful to both doctors and patients.
In this episode, I explain the shared culture I see in the medical community and its impact on physicians. You'll also hear why the value we place on...

Did you know that rates of loneliness have doubled in the United States since the 1980s? Studies show us that greater than 50% of people say no one knows them well, and 40% of people report isolation or feeling that their relationships are not meaningful. Worse yet, these feelings are harmful to our health, and as physicians, we face unique situations that make us even more susceptible to this growing problem.
In this episode, I explain how loneliness affects physicians in particular, and...

Today we’re continuing our two-part series on organizational efforts to decrease physician burnout. Last week, I described assessment tools that might help us begin our efforts for change within our organizations, and this episode is following up with examples of targeted interventions for improving physician wellness.
While every organization has its own unique needs and challenges, there are plenty of options for what institutions can do to keep their doctors healthy. Listen in to hear...

Did you know that greater than 50% of American physicians report symptoms of burnout? It’s a sad truth in medicine today, and it’s not only physicians who suffer as a result. Burnout leads to decreased patient satisfaction, decreased quality of care, and increased medical errors.
This is an organizational issue that has far-reaching implications, and it's up to all of us to do something about this problem. So this week, we’re starting a two-part series addressing organizational efforts to...

Today’s episode tackles something that many physicians struggle with: setting boundaries. Though healthy boundaries are an important aspect of wellness, it is far too common for us to want to do more than we can and stretch ourselves too thin because we don’t know how to say “no,” or because we’re afraid to.
But the truth is, we’re human. We can't do everything, and setting boundaries that communicate this is an act of self-care that can’t be ignored. If this is something you struggle with,...

Few things are tougher to deal with as physicians than mistakes in medicine or unanticipated outcomes. It’s something we all experience at one point or another, and I know how hard it can be to handle the regret. I also know how challenging it can be to be kind to yourself after something like that happens.
So today, we’re going to discuss what I call FGOs, or Flipping Growth Opportunities. These situations are awful, and we can’t change them, but we can choose to be gentle with ourselves...

Welcome to the first episode of Physician Wellness First, the show dedicated to helping physicians learn to take care of themselves so they can take better care of their patients. My name is Dr. Kathy Stepien, and I’m a pediatric hospitalist, as well as the founding director of The Institute for Physician Wellness. Having worked in healthcare for over 30 years, I know what it’s like to experience burnout, and my mission is to help other physicians avoid this common problem.
The medical...

Duration:00:27:26

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